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Good morning! We’ve had some wonderful quilts recently shared with our virtual community at 24 Blocks. Here are just a few we’ve selected to feature this morning. They are all bright and colorful. One was made to pass on memories. We hope they inspire!

from: Lori Netzley Saldivar: “My new sister-in-law had saved these hand-pieced star and flower blocks for 27 years following her mother’s death. They were made from scraps of her family’s clothing, and there are many types of fabric used, from polyester to satin, velveteen to sheers, as well as cotton. She found out I was a quilter and asked me if I thought I could make something out of them – preferably 14 somethings, so that each of her brothers and sisters could have a memento of their mom’s handiwork! I used a pre-quilted white background, added stems and leaves, and a unique border to each. I used the “blind hem stitch” on my machine to tack everything on as applique, leaving raw edges as they were. Here is a pic of 9 of them. It’s been a fun project, and I’m happy to be preserving these precious pieces of the past!”

Lori’s idea is a marvelous way to use the work created years before by a beloved family member or friend. She has grown a garden thats beauty will go out to others. We love how she took the stars and plates and made them into flowers. We love, too, the happy border material she used and how she let some of the “petals” and leaves extend out over the border. It is preservation, not only of the fabric pieces but of the stories they carry. Thank you, Lori, for sharing your very good idea!

from: Martha Plante: “I was so tired of winter, that I decided to dig out all my jewels and play. Ruby, emerald, sapphire, topaz, blue tourmaline, rose garnet surrounded by pearls. And since I made a mistake in cutting and sewing, a little tennis bracelet border . . . .”

All of us at 24 Blocks appreciate Martha’s contribution to the community. She always provides encouragement to new quilters and shares ideas as well as compliments for the work of others. She actually inspired our “Caterday” tradition from a quilt that she did for her cat. We really agree with her about the need for jewel colors to fight off Old Man Winter. We love how she has set her blocks so that they do look like radiant gems. Thank you so much, Martha, for the inspiration you share. This quilt is bedazzling.

Virginie’s quilt is one of the most creative versions of a quilt with repetitive figures. Note that each woman, with her hair tied up in a scarf, is not only dressed differently but is holding differing objects representing the months. There’s a warm sock for January, a heart for February, what looks like watermelon for July, a sailboat for August, a slate for September, etc. It’s a very creative, contemporary quilt. Thank you Virginie for sharing it with us.